BROADCAST CONTENT FOR VEHICLE AUDIO SYSTEMS

• US 20140018006A1
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Petrucci, David R., Massoll, Charles A., Nguyen, Thiep T., Wisnewski, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US13/547,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20140018006A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/24 Arrangements for distribution of identical information via broadcast system and non-broadcast system
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/62 for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/85 which are mobile communication networks

Abstract

Providing content services for a vehicle include receiving a signal quality indicator value indicative of a signal quality of a radio station that is transmitting radio frequency-based content over-the-air. The content services also include searching, via a wireless interface, a network for an identifier of the radio station. Upon determining the signal quality indicator value has fallen below a threshold, and responsive to finding the identifier of the radio station from the searching, the content services include transitioning from transmission of the content broadcast via radio frequency-based signals, through a radio of the vehicle, to transmission of content associated with the network.

Claims

1. A system for providing content services for a vehicle, comprising:

a wireless interface;

a computer processing device communicatively coupled to the wireless interface; and

logic executable by the computer processing device, the logic configured to implement a method, the method comprising;

receiving a signal quality indicator value indicative of a signal quality of a radio station that is transmitting radio frequency-based content over-the-air, the content received by the vehicle;

searching, via the wireless interface, a network for an identifier of the radio station; and

upon determining the signal quality indicator value has fallen below a threshold, and responsive to finding the identifier of the radio station from the searching, transitioning from transmission of the content broadcast via radio frequency-based signals, through a radio of the vehicle, to transmission of content associated with the network, the transitioning performed transparently to an occupant of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface includes a global positioning system component and a mobile communications component of a telematics system integrated with the vehicle;

wherein searching the network includes searching for an Internet Protocol address of the radio station, the method further comprising;

using global positioning system coordinates derived from the global positioning system component to identify the vehicle with the telematics system and the radio station discovered from searching the network; and

transmitting the content from the network through the radio of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface includes a global positioning system component and a mobile communications component of a mobile communication device;

wherein searching the network includes searching for an Internet Protocol address of the radio station, the method further comprising;

using global positioning system coordinates derived from the global positioning system component to identify the vehicle with the mobile communication device and the radio station discovered from searching the network; and

transmitting the content through a radio of the vehicle via a short-range communication network configured between the mobile communication device and a controller of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the radio includes pre-configured presets, and wherein the receiving, searching, and transitioning is performed only for radio stations assigned to the pre-configured presets.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising input components of the radio, the method further comprising:

activating a service for performing the receiving, searching, and transitioning via the input components of the radio;

wherein the transitioning is performed transparently to an occupant of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

receiving a request to activate a service for performing the receiving, searching, and transitioning via a web-based interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to implement:

displaying a call sign of the radio station that previously broadcast the content over-the-air, while transmitting the content associated with the network over the radio.

8. A method for providing content services for a vehicle, comprising:

receiving, at a computer processing device, a signal quality indicator value indicative of a signal quality of a radio station that is transmitting radio frequency-based content over-the-air, the content received by the vehicle;

searching, via a wireless interface that is communicatively coupled to the computer processing device, a network for an identifier of the radio station; and

upon determining the signal quality indicator value has fallen below a threshold, and responsive to finding the identifier of the radio station from the searching, transitioning from transmission of the content broadcast via radio frequency-based signals, through a radio of the vehicle, to transmission of content associated with the network, the transitioning performed transparently to an occupant of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein searching the network includes searching for an Internet Protocol address of the radio station, the method further comprising:

using global positioning system coordinates derived from a global positioning system component of the wireless interface to identify the vehicle with a telematics system and the radio station discovered from searching the network; and

transmitting the content through the radio of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein searching the network includes searching for an Internet Protocol address of the radio station, the method further comprising:

using global positioning system coordinates derived from a global positioning system component of a mobile communication device to identify the vehicle with the mobile communication device and the radio station discovered from searching the network; and

transmitting the content through the radio of the vehicle via a short-range communication network configured between the mobile communication device and a controller of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving, searching, and transitioning is performed only for radio stations assigned to pre-configured presets of the radio.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

activating a service for performing the receiving, searching, and transitioning via input components of the radio;

wherein the transitioning is performed transparently to an occupant of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a request to activate a service for performing the receiving, searching, and transitioning via a web-based interface.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying a call sign of the radio station that previously broadcast the content over-the-air, while transmitting the content associated with the network over the radio.

15. A computer program product for providing content services for a vehicle, the computer program product comprising a computer storage medium embodied with program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor cause the computer processor to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving a signal quality indicator value indicative of a signal quality of a radio station that is transmitting radio frequency-based content over-the-air, the content received by the vehicle;

searching, via a wireless interface that is communicatively coupled to the computer processing device, a network for an identifier of the radio station; and

upon determining the signal quality indicator value has fallen below a threshold, and responsive to finding the identifier of the radio station from the searching, transitioning from transmission of the content broadcast via radio frequency-based signals, through a radio of the vehicle, to transmission of content associated with the network, the transitioning performed transparently to an occupant of the vehicle.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein searching the network includes searching for an Internet Protocol address of the radio station, the method further comprising:

using global positioning system coordinates derived from a global positioning system component of the wireless interface to identify the vehicle with a telematics system and the radio station discovered from searching the network; and

transmitting the content through the radio of the vehicle.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein searching the network includes searching for an Internet Protocol address of the radio station, the method further comprising:

using global positioning system coordinates derived from a global positioning system component of a mobile communication device to identify the vehicle with the mobile communication device and the radio station discovered from searching the network; and

transmitting the content through the radio of the vehicle via a short-range communication network configured between the mobile communication device and a controller of the vehicle.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the receiving, searching, and transitioning is performed only for radio stations assigned to pre-configured presets of the radio.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

activating a service for performing the receiving, searching, and transitioning via input components of the radio.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request to activate a service for performing the receiving, searching, and transitioning via a web-based interface;

wherein the transitioning is performed transparently to an occupant of the vehicle.